


Quiet

by SierraWinchester



Series: JatP, my own personal universe [6]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: American Sign Language, Cute, Fluff, Nonverbal Communication, Panic Attacks, Sign Language, boys, cant even type my own tags righr, i die like these boye, mention of Carlos, sleepy Julie, unbetad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29727624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraWinchester/pseuds/SierraWinchester
Summary: Sometimes talking is hard, but there are other ways around it.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters
Series: JatP, my own personal universe [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145687
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	Quiet

Everyone has those days or those moments where words are too much effort. When words get stuck in your throat or burn their way across your tastebuds, leaving behind trails of acid and ash. There are times when it’s easier to just be quiet. 

1.) Julie  
It was a habit she’d picked up from her mother. When she was younger and trying to get to sleep Julie’s mom would always find whatever skin was bare and draw patterns and words on it. It was a soothing activity and on the nights when sleep evaded her it became a game. Julie would spend hours going back and forth, guessing words and shapes and whole stories from the fingerprints left on her forearm. 

As a teenager she hadn’t realized that same principle had followed her and whenever she grew tired she’d begin to draw shapes and words on the person closest to her. Ray had found this out less than a week after Rose’s death as Julie had nearly cried herself to sleep in his arms and then her bitten down nails had begun to spell out ‘dad’ and ‘i love you’ over and over again with hearts interspersed in between. His heart has shattered and swelled all in the same moment and he’d quietly moved his index finger to the back of her neck and began to respond to his daughter. 

It was Reggie that found out first. He’d always been ticklish and crammed into the loveseat with Julie, as Luke had taken the entire couch up with strewn song lyrics, he hadn’t been able to hide his squeak when her fingers began to trace stars across his ribs. She’d shifted immediately, waking up and blushing a ruby color. Julie hadn’t wasted time and ran inside, hiding for almost all of the evening from her embarrassment. 

Luke found out not long later. They were on the drive home from a gig about two hours from the Molina residence. Flynn was driving so there was no worry of anyone questioning how Julie was leaning against the air like she was and so she’d gotten comfortable in the back with Luke and Reggie, snuggling into the guitarists side while Reggie held her feet on his lap. Alex had chosen the passenger seat, fiddling with the phone connected to the Bluetooth and flipping through songs at light speed. 

Luke had felt when Julie began to drift against him, her weight growing heavier and her fingers settling against his palm. Slowly they began to swirl around, seeming to make nonsense shapes for the first few minutes, but quickly he realized it was more than that. She was drawing what felt like little cartoon type ghosts and hearts. Hiding his grin, he glanced at her, but her eyes were shut and she was quickly slowly her movements. Luke kissed the top of her head, feeling her finish off the guitar she was drawing before her fingers stuttered to a halt and she was asleep. 

2.) Reggie  
Reggie had grown up with a house full of siblings, most of them younger. And while he was usually the best parental figure around he’d been the one to help them with homework and projects and clubs. So when his youngest sister came to him asking for help with her newest club, he was happy to join. He just didn’t realize how much practicing sign language would help him later in life. (Or death, for that matter.) 

On the bad days, the days where Reggie’s sun burned a bit dimmer and his knees wobbled against the onslaught of memories and questions, his words always felt like they had to claw their way from his throat. Speaking hurt and typically he only wound up in tears, gasping and shaking all over. When his band mates had figured this out they were quick to offer up their time to help him find a way to work through it. And when he accidentally signed for the first time, an off handed response as he’d been trying to do it with his sister who was in her third year of the club, they all latched on. 

It helped, on the bad days, and the boys were quick to study up on the basics. It came in handy in other areas too, like loud clubs or in class when they couldn’t speak. So Reggie didn’t feel guilty about having them all learn it for him, and it was nice. It felt almost like their own type of secret on the good days, like something that bonded them all in some sort of invite only society. 

On the bad days, years later, he didn’t feel bad about using sign. It was helpful and the boys all replied with ease and so Reggie hadn’t felt that guilt in years. But now, after their death on the first bad day he’d had since the Orpheum, it crept back up his spine and bent him forward into himself. 

He’d been pressed up against the wall of the studio just trying to wait for one of the boys to come back so they could curl up and watch a movie. He hadn’t expected the first person to show up to be Julie, though, and the shadow of panic and pain crossed his eyes before he could hide it. 

“Reg, you okay?” She asked softly, standing a few feet away but looking worried. 

He swallowed stiffly, nodding slightly and hoping that would be enough. It wasn’t. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” She had stepped closer now, the concern drawing her face into a grimace. Reggie again didn’t respond, eyes darting around the room as his fingers twitched, wanting to explain but knowing she could understand. 

Julie’s eyes followed his gaze and she was quick to connect those dots at least. “You want Alex or Luke?” At his nod, she nodded, steeling herself. “Okay… They’re inside with Carlos. Give me a second.” She darted in before he could argue. 

When Luke and Alex poofed beside him he was quick to sign out a shaky explanation, but only Alex kept his eyes watching for it. Luke had moved to set up the couch for a movie and Julie had come rushing back in a few seconds later. She eyed Alex and Reggie before turning to her guitarist, “What’s going on?”

Luke smiled at her, that goofy puppy smile she always seemed to pull out of him, “Reggie’s having a bad speaking day. They happen sometimes. We all know enough ASL to get through it, though.” He glanced at Reggie who was signing to Alex with more speed than Luke could sometimes keep up with. “He’s trying to apologize.”

Luke rolled his eyes in sync with Julie, but she frowned as she turned to Reggie. “No need to apologize, Reg. We all have bad days. I just wish I could understand better…”

Reggie glanced at Alex who nodded, no words or signs needed, and then he returned his eyes to her. Alex translated as Reggie smiled shyly, “We’d be happy to teach you?”

Julie glanced between them both, a smile playing at her own lips, “Really?”

“Of course!” Luke jumped in, grinning. “You’re a part of the band. Should join the ASL world, too. It’s fun sometimes and it helps a lot at gigs.”

Julie grinned and nodded, repeating the sign that she did know from years of tv shows. All three boys grinned at it and Alex and Luke spoke while Reggie shot back the same one, “We love you too, Molina.”

3.)Luke.  
Luke hated being sick. It was the worst thing in the world and it made him more of a cranky toddler than he usually was. The boys had long since developed a system. Well, less of a system and more if they just knew Luke well enough to anticipate his needs. They’d just never assumed they’d need it again after they died. But here they were, two months after the Orpheum performance, touchable to Julie and occasionally others and he was whining in the way that made Reggie and Alex look at each other with worry. 

Julie chuckled, not understanding just yet why Luke was whining, “What’s wrong, Patterson? Get stuck on another lyric?” She was standing, heading his way from where she’d been sat at the piano, but Reggie stood and cut her off. 

“I think he’s sick.”

“Sick? Ghosts can’t get sick, Reg.” Julie replied, but he could see her worry as she glanced at Luke who did look a bit paler than usual. 

“Ghosts also can’t be seen or touch lifers.” Alex reminded her as he dragged the blanket from the top of the couch to lay over Luke. 

“Uh, okay… what do we do?” Julie conceded. Alex had a good point and she couldn’t argue against his logic. Nothing about these three ghosts had ever made sense. 

“Not much. He’s usually fine in a few days. He’s just gonna be whiny.” Reggie explained as he turned back to Luke who moaned pitifully at his words. Reggie laughed, confusing Julie, “Yup. Few days. You’ll be fine.”

Alex explained the next noise, a half grunt half whine in the back of Luke’s throat that was reminiscent of a garbage disposal, “Yeah, no meds, probably. Can’t eat, so I don’t they’d even work.”

Julie looked between the two as if they’d both grown extra heads. “How? How are you understanding him?? He’s just moaning and groaning!”

Alex laughed as Luke turned and flipped face first into his chest, “He’s Luke. There was like half a summer once where he had mono and he spoke solely in grunts and whimpers. It was kinda funny.”

The noise that left Luke’s throat clued even Julie into the fact that he didn’t think it was funny at all, but Reggie just spoke over him, “It really was. And it helped us sort of learn to speak Luke. It’s pretty easy after a while. Like when a dog whines or a baby cries, you just kind of learn their meanings.”

Luke whined at that and Julie chuckled a bit at the offense in the tone of it. Okay. This would take a lot of work but she had two perfect translators around and it was Luke. How hard could it be? So, she sat down beside him, fingers rubbing into the knots in his shoulders and she didn’t need a translator to hear the thanks in his sigh. 

4.) Alex  
Panic attacks where never fun for anyone. They weren’t totally uncommon in the band, though, and they all had different ways of coping. Alex, though, had been the one to intiate the system that they used to communicate during them, though. His first panic attack in front of his friends had been after his first F on a history test and he had been breathing so raggedly he couldn’t speak. 

Bobby had been the one to grab Alex’s hand, forcing him to look up. He’d been watching a lot of medical dramas recently and it was a passing thought, but he’d decided to try it and see if it helped. “Squeeze once for yes and twice for no. Can you hear me?” Alex had squeezed and it had cemented the method near immediately. 

The boys used it constantly, though more often tapping worked because it involved less contact and some days Alex just couldn’t handle touch. They’d taught Julie it early on, explaining it worked for panic attacks, but also on crowded buses and in emergency situations. This was the first time she’d ever had to use it, though. 

She was in the hallway at school waiting for the line ahead of her to continue forward so she could get her school photos done. Alex had popped up a few minutes prior and after a bit of wandering to see what was up he stepped beside her again. He grinned at her, speaking in a whisper even though no one else could hear him, “You nearly done?”

Julie glanced around and shook her head slightly, hoping no one noticed her. Alex grinned and he shook his head, settling his fingers against hers. “Tap once for yes. Two for no.” She hid her smile but tapped once. 

“Gross. So, once you’re done you’re coming to practice, right? Luke wrote something he wants you to look at.” One tap. Alex smiled, “Okay. Cool.”

They both stopped for a minute, just hanging out even though no one else knew Alex was there. That was Julie’s favorite part about them being invisible to everyone but her, the fact that she could have all the support she needed and no one would ever know. 

Alex finally just turned to her, smiling, “I’m gonna head back to the studio because this is boring and I’ve been gone more than five minutes so I’m sure someone has broken something.” They shared a private smile of fond exasperation, “I’ll see you in like an hour?”

Julie tapped once and with a quick side hug from her drummer, Alex vanished and Julie was left alone with a lingering smile.


End file.
